London+ Greenwich

We had a nice breakfast in the hotel. Then back to the room to get sorted out for our trip to Greenwich. It was a short walk to the Bond Street station, past Marks & Spencer and Selfridge's. The London Underground is easy to manage- either tap on and off with a credit card, or purchase a reloadable Oyster Card.

We took a taxi from Greenwich North Station to the Royal Naval Observatory where we got to stand on the Prime Meridian and experience true Zulu time. The Royal Astronomers did a lot of work to identify the Prime Meridian, with Halley and Bradley off the mark, and Airy finally pinning it down (as far as we know.)

After absorbing history, science, and culture, we walked down to the Maritime Museum for a snack. Outside is the largest ship-in-a-bottle I've ever seen. I went to the Queen's house to visit the loo, and ended up going through the whole place first- it's just to the left of the entrance. But I got to see the beautiful Tulip Staircase- apparently the first free-standing staircase, with steps incorporated into the walls.

Our walk to the Cutty Sark took us through the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College- on the site of the now-gone castle built by Henry VII where Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, and Mary were born. Then, Cutty Sark, and an Uber back to the station.

Since we were going past Selfridge's, we decided to stop in, and downstairs found Harry Gordon's Spanish- themed bar. We enjoyed Charcuterie, Rioja sangria, and Diet Coke, and called it dinner.Read more